Autosampler

Abstract

An autosampler for obtaining mass spectra from a plurality of fluid samples, in particular gaseous samples including a plurality of containers including sample sources providing the samples, wherein each one of the containers provides a docking port for being connected with a connector for enabling access to an inside of the respective container via the connector in order to obtain the respective sample from the respective container via said connector. The autosampler further includes an ionisation source for ionising at least a part of the samples, and a mass analyser for obtaining the mass spectra from the ions. The ionisation source is moveable within the autosampler sequentially to each of the containers for connecting the connector to the docking port of the respective container for collecting the sample from the respective container for ionising at least a part of the sample and obtaining the mass spectra from the ions.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An autosampler for obtaining mass spectra from a plurality of fluid samples comprising:
 a) a plurality of containers comprising sample sources providing said samples, wherein each one of said containers provides a docking port for being connected with a connector for enabling access to an inside of the respective container via said connector when said connector is connected to the respective docking port in order to obtain the respective sample from the respective container via said connector, wherein said connector is connectable to and detachable from each docking port, 
 b) an ionisation source for ionising at least a part of said samples to ions, wherein said ionisation source is fluidly coupled to said connector for receiving said samples from the containers via said connector, and 
 c) a mass analyser for obtaining said mass spectra from said ions, said mass analyser being fluidly coupled to said ionisation source for receiving said ions from said ionisation source for obtaining said mass spectra from said ions, 
 wherein said ionisation source is moveable with said connector within said autosampler sequentially to each one of said plurality of said containers for connecting said connector to the docking port of the respective container for collecting said sample from the respective container for ionising said at least part of said sample to ions and obtaining said mass spectra from said ions, 
 and wherein said samples are gaseous samples. 
 
     
     
       2. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein said mass analyser is moveable together with said ionisation source within said autosampler sequentially to each one of said plurality of said containers for connecting said connector to the docking port of the respective container for collecting said samples from the respective container for ionising said at least part of said samples to ions and for obtaining said mass spectra from said ions. 
     
     
       3. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein each one of said plurality of said containers provides an inside with a volume which is in a range from 0.1 l to 10 l. 
     
     
       4. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein said containers are identical. 
     
     
       5. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein said docking ports of said containers are identical. 
     
     
       6. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein a control unit for controlling said autosampler. 
     
     
       7. The autosampler according to  claim 6 , wherein said control unit is adapted for repetitively sampling said plurality of said samples. 
     
     
       8. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein said autosampler comprises a support surface on which said containers are mounted and below which said ionisation source is moveable with said connector within said autosampler sequentially to each one of said plurality of said containers for connecting said connector to the docking port of the respective container for collecting said sample from the respective container for ionising said at least part of said sample to ions and obtaining said mass spectra from said ions. 
     
     
       9. The autosampler according to  claim 8  wherein said support surface provides openings reaching from an upper side of said support surface to a lower side of said support surface, wherein for each docking port, a connecting area of the respective docking port for being connected with said connector is located on said lower side of said support surface. 
     
     
       10. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein said ionisation source is moveable within said autosampler along an overlapping-free linear path for being moved sequentially to each one of said plurality of said containers for connecting said connector to the docking port of the respective container for collecting said sample from the respective container for ionising said at least part of said sample to ions and obtaining said mass spectra from said ions. 
     
     
       11. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein said ionisation source is moveable within said autosampler in only two dimensions for being moved sequentially to each one of said plurality of said containers for connecting said connector to the docking port of the respective container for collecting said sample from the respective container for ionising said at least part of said sample to ions and obtaining said mass spectra from said ions. 
     
     
       12. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein said containers each comprise a gas inlet allowing inserting a purge gas into the respective container. 
     
     
       13. The autosampler according to  claim 12 , wherein from each of said containers the respective sample is purgeable to said ionisation source by pressing said purge gas into the respective container when said connector is connected to the docking port of the respective container. 
     
     
       14. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein from each of said containers the respective sample is suckable to said ionisation source by generating a lower pressure at said ionisation source than a pressure within the respective container when said connector is connected to the docking port of the respective container. 
     
     
       15. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein each one of said plurality of said containers provides an inside with a volume which is in a range from 0.1 l to 5 l. 
     
     
       16. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein each one of said plurality of said containers provides an inside with a volume which is in a range from 0.1 l to 2 l. 
     
     
       17. The autosampler according to  claim 1 , wherein each one of said plurality of said containers provides an inside with a volume which is in a range from 0.1 l to 1 l. 
     
     
       18. A method for obtaining mass spectra from a plurality of fluid samples with an autosampler, comprising:
 keeping sample sources providing said samples in a plurality of containers, wherein each one of said containers provides a docking port for being connected with a connector for enabling access to an inside of the respective container via said connector when said connector is connected to the respective docking port in order to obtain the respective sample from the respective container via said connector, wherein said connector is connectable to and detachable from each docking port, and 
 sequentially sampling the containers by
 a) moving an ionisation source and said connector within said autosampler to each desired one of said plurality of said containers, 
 b) connecting said connector to the docking port of the respective container, 
 c) collecting the respective said sample from the respective container, 
 d) transferring the respective said sample via said connector to said ionisation source, 
 e) ionising at least a part of the respective said sample to ions, 
 f) transferring said ions to a mass analyser and 
 g) obtaining said mass spectra from said ions, 
 
 wherein after the respective said sample is collected from the respective container, said connector is detached from the docking port of the respective container, 
 and wherein said samples are gaseous samples.